The U.S. federal government has run up a debt of over 19 trillion dollars, largely to underwrite past and present consumption using resources that should belong to future Americans. The debt continues to grow. Congress has shown itself unable or unwilling to operate within its limits. Never before in the history of this country has one generation left the next generation in such a precarious fiscal situation.
Senator Cruz stated, "the Washington Cartel has put special interest spending ahead of the American people, driving our nation's debt to over $19 trillion. A child born today is already $59,000 in debt and that is just wrong. It is clear to me that only the states can fix this problem."
Momentum is building fast in the pursuit of this state-driven amendment designed to reign-in the excessive spending of Congress.
Article V of the Constitution provides both Congress and the states with the exact same authority to propose a balanced budget amendment. Under Article V, it takes 34 states to apply for a convention to propose an amendment and 38 states to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Joseph Semprevivo & David Biddulph, Co-founders of the BBATF, noted, "today is a great day in America because the signing of the BBA Pledge shows that the leading Republican Presidential Candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, is focused on stripping the power from the Washington Cartel and handing it back to the people. The ability of states to propose amendments was put in the Constitution to address the very circumstance we find ourselves in today, namely an unresponsive and out-of-control Congress that refuses to deal with critical issues, such as the massive debt."
According to data compiled by the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force, 27 of the constitutionally required 34 states have active applications to hold an interstate meeting (convention) to draft a balanced budget amendment. The nation is only seven states away from calling a limited convention under Article V.
The Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force is a non-profit, non-partisan coalition whose mission is to educate state legislators regarding their Constitutional power to propose and ratify a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Click HERE to view the pledge.